And I have the hope that Ill hear it again.. Attempts to phone her went straight to voicemailinvestigators later determined her phone had been turned off the night before. Since then, the best clue investigators have found is grainy surveillance video showing a man parking a car, then walking away from the Huntington on the Green apartment complex. However, unwilling to accept the fate of previous years - where meaningful breakthroughs have long been absent - they have a new plan to find their missing daughter. Jennifer's case was recently profiled on the Oxygen series Up & Vanished series. Police interviewed an ex-boyfriend of Jennifers who was openly distraught over their breakup, wanted to get back together again, and was reportedly upset that shed just vacationed with a new beau. Jenn was spontaneous and adventurous, Rob said. (And, as a commenter mentioned in my recent post about the missing/murdered Krnak family, most cases are built on circumstantial evidence.). "We paid the price, in full, upfront," father Drew Kesse wrote. En route, they called her building manager and asked him to check her apartment. You can watchthe full episode here. When they tried dialing her, they got her voicemail. Its been 14 years and shes not back. We had a bit of a disagreement. But at first, I didnt think anything bad, like really bad, had happened to her. Every Friday, we send out an email with the scariest horror movies and TV shows streaming that weekend along with creepy news, updates from the horror movie pipeline, and links to the best scary content on the web. At approximately 8 a.m. on Thursday, January 26, a resident of the Huntington on the Green condominium complex reported they found Jennifer Kesse's car in a visitor's spot in the parking lot. But no, she would not do that. And to make sure I was in it for the long haul. What is Known About Kimberly Kessler?In 2012, Kimberly Kesslers mother reported her missing. The nightmare to not know. Her family has been tirelessly searching for the Tampa Bay-area native for. Kesse was a graduate of Gaither High School in Tampa. Drew and I are in our 60s. Her disappearance continues to grab national attention. There was no response. On November 8, 2019, for the first time in years, there was a second possible break in the case. The family has continued to pursue the case through private investigators, who have turned up some potential new clues. Rob, along with Jenns parents and brother, were all ruled out as suspects right away, according to the familys legal team and private investigator, Mike Torretta. The family went to their daughter's new condo and said it appeared 'normal' - clean and with everything in place. The 24-year-old simply vanished and no one has ever been arrested.. She failed to call or text her boyfriend the following morning as was her usual routine. She drove the two and a half hours directly to her job in Ocoee, Florida, where she worked a full day. and our Shed last seen her daughter on July 4, 2004 in Butler, Pennsylvaniaeight years before reporting her missing. Im unsure if Kessler had any known connections to Orlando or the areas or places Kesse lived, worked, or frequented. She was always, you know, a big sister and I know for a long time, I was the annoying younger brother, but as we got older, we grew closer, just naturally, Logan told Dateline. We kept in touch and it just blossomed from there.. Nothing was done, no investigation, Jenns father Drew said. That evening, she left her office around 6pm and wished her boss a good evening. EARLY LIFE: Jennifer Joyce Kesse was born on May 20, 1981 to parents Drew and Joyce Kesse. Missing person signs were posted. "We firmly believe the departments negligence and lack of competency cost Jennifer the chance to be found," Drew wrote. The parents of Jennifer Kesse say they are "closer than ever" to uncovering answers in the disappearance of their. They told us, Oh, shes an adult, she had a fight with her boyfriend, shell be back, and they left, Drew said. Kessler was known to drive a motorcycle and work construction jobs, two suggested possible traits of the person who may have been involved in Kesses disappearance. The last person to speak to Jennifer was her boyfriend, in a call shortly before 10pm on the Monday night. I wont stop looking for her, Logan said. Inside, CBS says nothing seemed out-of-the-ordinary. We had just returned from holiday -- which was so amazing -- but now we were both dreading going back to work, Rob said. A police dog was able to trace a scent that led from the car back to Jennifers building, suggesting that the person who dropped off the car returned to the site of her abduction. Cummings (also referred to in some sources as Joleen Jensen) was last seen leaving her workplace, Tangles Hair Salon, in Fernandina Beach, Florida. In 2007, police released grainy surveillance footage of the suspect who had been driving her car. 4 You never think something like this could ever happen to someone you love.. But instead, he stayed. Later that year, Detective Joel Wright was named lead investigator in the case. And that is where the mystery starts.. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. In December, WFTV reported that cold case detectives with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are now looking over evidence to see if they can solve the mystery of her disappearance. Eventually she was indicted on a first-degree premeditated murder charge for the death of Cummings. I just knew I had to get to Jenn right away.. We, her family Drew, Joyce, and Logan, and friends believe she was taken the morning of Tuesday, January 24, 2006, from in or around her Orlando, Florida home. Torretta spoke to her and said she told him she saw a man drive a pickup truck to the lake that Tuesday in 2006, take out what appeared to be a six to eight-foot piece of rolled-up carpet and dump it in the lake, watching it sink. They returned on January 22, after which she spent the night at his house and headed off to work on the morning of January 23. The Orange County Sheriff's Office is following up on a new tip in the Jennifer Kesse missing person case. In the years since Jenn vanished, Rob has gotten married and had two children. Police release age-progressed photo of 24-year-old woman who went missing nine years ago, Prime suspect in unsolved murder of an 11-year-old boy breaks his silence more than two decades later and admits he saw the missing child moments before he was abducted, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Beaming Harry and Meghan enjoy date night at private members' club, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Jenn stayed with me that night and decided to drive straight to work early the next morning.. Dailymail.com Reporter, Have you seen Jennifer? It still has for my parents, Logan said. Her defense teams forensic psychologist believes she has personality disorders and delusional disorders and is not competent to stand trial. She chatted to her parents, brother, boyfriend and some friends on the phone at home that evening. They made fliers and distributed them around the area, pleading for answers. Clothes on her bed. However, it had been reported by some local news sources early in the case that Kessler was jealous of Cummings. Sometimes it doesnt feel like 14 years has passed. Video surveillance showed an unidentified person parking the car and walking away from it. Until the day I die. When Government Agencies Secretly Work in the Field of the Supernatural and the Occult, About That Time Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Supposedly Saw Aliens on the Moon. We had an incredible relationship. The family said there was a seven-year gap in the case files where nothing was recorded. At a press conference, investigators said they had reason to believe Cummings was no longer alive, but they had not found her remains. Yesterday, there was a post on the Unresolved Mysteries sub about the most out-there theories that we were reticent to share and this one came to mind. It was a double whammy, losing Jenn and then losing my father, Rob told Dateline. Our hearts continue to go out to the entire Kesse family, and our detectives will continue to investigate any new leads. Allen says it was the last time he ever heard from her. They sued the Orlando Police Department in 2018, asking for a copy of the case files. As he explains, they would need authorities to help approach any potential suspects because trying to do it on their own would ruin a future prosecutor's case. Nothing seemed out of place, but Kesse, her purse, phone, and vehicle were missing. Van Sant says its believed they were day workers or perhaps even been undocumented workers who disappeared after Kesse vanished. To submit a tip or to join the conversation, visit the Help Find Missing Jennifer Kesse Facebook page or www.jenniferkesse.com. Jennifer Kesse and her boyfriend, who lived several hours away in south Florida and was cleared early on by authorities, would call each other on the drive to work each morning. She showered, got dressed. Blow dryer out. In 2019, the family won their legal battle and received more than 14,000 pages of electronic files and hours of video from the Orlando Police Department. Other commenters on this theory have pointed out that, in those shapeless clothes and with her hair back, her silhouette is reminiscent of what we can make out in the surveillance videos of the person who parked Kesses vehiclesmaller frame, gender-neutral clothing, and a possible bun or ponytail (instead of what some believe may be as a hat). By subscribing, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Statement. Kessler spent a lot of time in many Florida cities, including Oviedo, which is basically a suburb of Orlando, where Kesse lived. They tried to contact Jenn, and around 11 a.m. when she still could not be reached, her employer -- who knew Jenns father -- decided to call her parents. Both vehicles were reportedly wiped down inside before being abandoned. But after a thorough interrogation, police decided he had nothing to do with her disappearance. 2. Her family still had no answers, and their frustrations were mounting. Timeshares are big business in Florida. . Jennifer Kesse disappeared on Jan. 24, 2006. The next day, on Tuesday, January 24, she did not show up for work, and Allen did not hear anything from her, which was unusual as she was always texting him. Kessler and Cummings had blue eyes, and Kesse had green eyes that were said to look blue depending on what she was wearing. Her Black Chevy Malibu was found abandoned one mile away from her home in Orlando. The PI believes Kesse had left her condo and was locking the door when she was grabbed by the workers. Her employer then alerted her family, who could not reach her at her home or on her cellphone. Bear with me as I lay out the main connection points and possibilities: The details of the Cummings disappearance are similar to those of the Kesse disappearance: a young woman and her vehicle go missing, the vehicle is later found abandoned in a parking lot, and surveillance cameras catch the person parking the vehicle (in Cummings case, positively identified as Kessler) parking and walking away. Well get it. In fact, she'd just moved into a condo there. We havent seen the states evidence yet and dont know Kesslers motive for killing Cummings (if shes guilty of what shes been accused of). That person is the key, Torretta said. Sybert was charged with grand theft auto for taking Cummings vehicle and booked in jail. Two days later, her black Chevy Malibu was discovered outside a different condo building about a mile away. Kesse believes there is someone out there with information about his daughters disappearance. But she didnt come back. On January 17, 2019, Kessler made an appearance in court for the death of Cummings. Jenns mother, Joyce, told Dateline she felt fortunate that their family was able to all speak to Jenn that day. Was Jennifer Kesse Found? She always said she felt safe with me, so I feel emasculated that I wasnt there to protect her, to save her.. Jenns luggage from her trip was still in the front hall, untouched. Wright interviewed Chino inside a prison in 2009. Her bed was unmade and there was a wet towel and water droplets still covering the shower. The Kesse family told Dateline that while they were at Jenns, workers were in the condo across the hall installing new carpet. Were truly starting to talk to the people we really need to talk to which leads us down many paths. It had been a long day, coming back from the Caribbean, and we were both tired, Rob said. At that point, Chino was serving an unrelated sentence for statutory rape. When she uncharacteristically didnt show up for work, her employer called her parents and they immediately left their Tampa home and drove toward her apartment. They talked about shipping the phone back to his friend. Perhaps she would have been more likely to open her door or talk with a woman, especially if that woman expressed fear or asked or help. Friday marks 14 years since Jennifer Kesse vanished. 2023 Cox Media Group. Sunday, May 13, the day before she was reported missing, was Mothers Day and Cummings birthday, and she was supposed to meet her ex-husband at a local store parking lot to pick up her three young children. She wanted assurance that I loved her. The Kesse family organized volunteers to pass out fliers and spoke on local and national TV. I could never imagine what her parents were going through, Rob said. In 2019, law enforcement divers searched Lake Fischer in unincorporated Orange County after the private eye identified a tip about somebody dumping a rolled-up carpet into the water several months after Kesse disappeared. As of this posing, the judge in the case has not made a ruling. It looked like they knocked a filing cabinet over, shuffled the papers and handed them to us.. 2. and Jennifer remains on their . Investigators will interview people Kesses law enforcement team has already identified as possible suspects or people who may have valuable information. But I have this gut feeling that one of those workers knows something.. If jealousy did indeed motivate Kessler to murder Cummings, it could be possible she encountered Kesse and became jealous of her for real or perceived reasons and decided to attack, whether or not she had a planned endgame. If shes not alive, we just want some kind of proof that shes not with us anymore. Jennifer Kesse was first reported missing on January 24, 2006. Everything looked normal, with her make-up laid out on a counter and a t-shirt on the floor, and even the shower was still wet, showing that she had left that morning. Thomas is originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania and worked in Portland, Oregon before moving to Central Florida in August 2018. Jennifer Kesse, meanwhile, was abducted after leaving her apartment on her way to work on the morning of Jan. 24, 2006. Watch News 6 as they cover breaking local, regional, and national news, plus the latest updates on weather, traffic and sports. And it puts life in perspective. They told us it was an active case. There was no sign of a struggle or break-in at her apartment or the parking lot or her vehicle, but its possible a woman would have seemed non-threatening. Three and four hours would pass, and wed still be talking.. Then she disappeared one day in January of 2006 and has never been found. VIDEO: Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE, Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE, Reality star Honey Boo Boo inside speeding car involved in chase with deputies in Georgia, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies after brain aneurysm at 61, SEE: Brightline reaches maximum speed for first time, Florida bill guts local governments power to protect tenants, Local woman who allegedly killed terminally ill husband at hospital out on bond, records show. The then 24-year-old had recently been promoted at work. The day Jennifer's car was found, search crews looked through the wooded area near Huntington on the Green. According to CBS News, they had a disagreement on the phone with the long distance part of their relationship taking its toll. Wright then realized an anonymous tip had been reported right after Kesse vanished, also suggesting Chino might know something. ORLANDO, Fla. It has been 15 years since the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse and there are still few clues about what happened to her on the day she vanished. Jennifer Kesse's father says nothing was found during a search of an Orange County lake. This week, the Kesse family, now living back in Bradenton, are beginning their seventeenth year without Jennifer. Police search miles of terrain and interrogate dozens of suspects, yet a decade later her disappearance remains one of Florida's most baffling crimes. Jennifer Joyce Kesse (born May 20, 1981) is an American woman from Orlando, Florida, who has been missing since January 23, 2006. Theories abound as to what happened, with many suggesting she was killed by a male coworker whose advances she had spurned. Even though FBI and NASA assisted in investigating the photos, they were unable to even determine the persons gender. A wet towel convinced them that Kesse had slept in her apartment, gotten up and showered in the morning, and then disappeared. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. This man was interviewed, and at the time he was in prison doing charges for statutory rape, but he adamantly denied having had anything to do with the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse, and further passed a polygraph test, so along with the poor quality footage, he was never pursued as a suspect. She Was Never Seen Again. Published: 8:55 AM EST January 24, 2023 Updated: 6:13 PM EST January 24, 2023 ORLANDO, Fla. Where is Jennifer Kesse? Prison photos of Kessler since her arrest show her in prison-issue jumpsuits and with her hair parted down the center and pulled back tightly in a ponytail or bun. I didnt see a whole post about it, so I thought Id type one up and share the strange connections. Their last trip together took them to the island of St. Croix in the Caribbean. Jennifer Kesse was 24 at the time of her disappearance and by all accounts was a successful young woman. It also means retesting evidence the Kesses say has not ever been retested. In November 2019, investigators spent days searching Lake Fischer after a new tip came forward. During that presser they also announced that Jennifer Sybert was actually named Kimberly Kessler; she had been living under a fake name and using a fake Social Security number. By We just want to know where she is, what happened to her, before its too late for us.. He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Journalism in 2010. Police arrested Sybert on Wednesday, May 16 at an Interstate 95 rest area in St. Johns County, Florida. And by lunchtime, he was worried. I personally have never really wavered on what I think happened, but of course the mind can be pulled into so many different directions because we have nothing concrete, Logan said. It also seems highly unlikely that one or more of the workers could have pulled off an abduction and murder without at least some of the other workers finding out. Instead of moving, Logan traveled back and forth between Florida and California, and got his real estate license. The Kesse family told Dateline they wont ever stop searching for their daughter or for answers. Other than that, the apartment was completely normal.. The unsolved disappearance of Jennifer Kesse Seig Lu January 19, 2021 7:42 pm Jennifer Kesse was 24 years old when she vanished in 2006 in Orlando. Questioning family, acquaintances, and her boyfriend didnt turn up much, but it was uncovered that Jennifer had been complaining of being harassed by construction workers near her condo in the days leading up to her mysterious disappearance. Kesse was 24 when she went missing. Both Drew and Jenns mother, Joyce, tried to call their daughter, but their calls and texts also went unanswered. If stealing identities wasnt what Kessler was doing, some reports suggested shed lashed out at Cummings because she was jealous of her. The community was supportive and the Kesse family treated me like a son. Jenn left Robs place in Ft. Lauderdale in the early hours of Monday, January 23, 2006. She was the oldest of two children, and is said to have been best friends with her little brother, Logan. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Something was there.. Its possible that Kessler had intended to steal identities and was looking for women whom she physically resembled. She locked her door. How do you decide, as a parent, when the right time is to give up the search for your child? Joyce said. She was up for anything and willing to travel anywhere and try new things.. According to private investigator Torretta, the person without a face is a person of interest and the main focus of his investigation. Read: 9 things to know about the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. After this, they said they arent sure there is anything left they can do. Police questioned residents at the apartment complex, but could find no one who remembered seeing anything out of the ordinary or even seeing Jennifer arrive there at all. While there isnt any evidence that Kessler and Kesse ever met, I do have a few questions Id like to have answered: Have investigators ever looked at Kessler as a possible person of interest in the Kesse case? 1 min read. Weve created a community powered by horror fans like you and we need you in it. Jennifer Kesse's family bore witness to another dismal milestone in Florida this week as the recurring date of her disappearance marked 12 years.